The word 'micro' means small and 'biology' is the study of life and life forms. Microbiology is a branch of science which studies 'small life'. This refers to the study of microorganisms or microbes. This is a vital area of study as it breaks down and identifies all processes of life. The micro-organic substances that are studied are very small and invisible to the naked eye. This includes archaea, bacteria, viruses, prions, fungi, algae, and protozoa. These microbes play important roles in areas such as cycling of nutrients, biodegradation or bio deterioration, food spoilage, climate change, the cause and control of disease, and biotechnology to name a few.

Thanks to its versatility and importance in the environment, microbes can be used to be put to work in many ways like making life-saving drugs, cleaning up pollution, manufacturing bio fuels, and producing and processing food and beverages. Microbiology is a broad discipline that includes several branches however the two main branches of this subject are virology and bacteriology. It is highly interdisciplinary because it draws from many other subjects like Biology, Chemistry, Public Health, and Biomedicine.